Advocating for Professional Advocates in Nursing and Midwifery

This paper discusses the development of professional advocacy in the United Kingdom (UK) nursing and midwifery professions. Initially established in midwifery, the discourse of professional advocacy has gradually shifted from a patient focus to advocating for the professionals in their professional roles. This move is driven by the need to influence the health, well-being, and efficacy of the health professions, thereby positively impacting patient care. The concept of advocacy is thus expanding from advocacy focussing on patients/social groups, to incorporating advocating for health professionals by health professionals. However, it is unclear if literature and evidence is keeping pace with this potential conceptual shift taking place in the practice setting, and it is unclear if past patient-centred conceptualisations of advocacy are relevant to the context of professional-orientated advocacy. This paper aims to initiate this discussion specific to the nursing profession.